Ranbir Kapoor to team up with Deepika Padukone for Imtiaz Ali's next

Deepika Padukone & Ranveer Singh: We wonder if the so-called ‘good friends’ are making a statement. You know, what with celeb couples around the world dressing alike to events. (Photos: Yogen Shah)

It’s not easy to avoid being the target of unwarranted digs from competition if you are having a good run in Bollywood.

However, Deepika Padukone says it barely affects her. "I never focus my energy on these sort of things," says the 28-year-old, when asked about the dig that fellow actor Sonam Kapoor took at her on Karan Johar’s TV chat show Koffee with Karan.

Sonam had alluded to Deepika not having her own style sense and depending on an over enthusiastic PR team. "I’m not one to be affected by it. You are what you are!" says Deepika.

Ask her what success feels like, and she smiles, "My drive has never been to be on the top. My focus is on doing good work, working with good film-makers, taking up challenging roles and being able to pull them off."

The actor is looking forward to her upcoming films — Finding Fanny Fernandes with Arjun Kapoor, and Happy New Year with Shah Rukh Khan and several other actors.

"This will be my third film with Shah Rukh (after Om Shanti Om, 2007, and Chennai Express, 2013). It’s my first with Arjun, and it was a surreal experience working with him because we’ve been friends earlier and I’ve always known him in the capacity of a friend ... and now we are co-stars," says Deepika.

Deepika, however, remains tight-lipped about Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani, where she is paired with her rumoured boyfriend Ranveer Singh. Ask her if she chose the film over Karan Johar’s Shuddhi and pat comes the reply, "I am not allowed to say anything about Bajirao Mastani. But yes, a film that I’m allowed to talk about is Imtiaz Ali’s next where Ranbir (Kapoor) and I are again coming together. Imtiaz is one of my favourite directors. And Ranbir and I have given hits such as Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008). I’m really excited to be working on yet another film with someone who is a great friend."

About her recent plans, she adds, "I’m also looking forward to performing at the IIFA awards in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA, later this month. My parents and my sister are also flying down to watch me perform. Also, a lot of my extended family stays in the US, so I’m really looking forward to meeting all of them," says Deepika, who’s been nominated in the Best Actress category for three of her films from 2013 — Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express and Goliyon Ki Raasleela — Ram Leela, at the awards.